Traffic Light System

Green:

Weight loss injections are predominantly GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide) hormones which act to slow down stomach motility. This can lead to common symptoms which occur for a few days after injection or can last longer with higher doses of the medication:

Bloating

Occasional abdominal discomfort

Constipation

A mild sense of nausea

Treatment:

Hydrate yourself well, take the injection later at night before bed time and at the start of a weekend. Use mild painkillers if required.

Amber:

As well as causing slow gastric movement, these hormones also slow down the ability of the gall bladder to contract effectively. The weight loss that occurs leads to an increase in fat excretion by the liver which can lead to gallstone formation. At the same time, food remains in the stomach for longer as a result of the decreased gastric motility. In addition to the symptoms above, amber symptoms include:

Heartburn/reflux

Right sided abdominal pain following meals

Pain radiating to shoulder or back

Treatment:

See your GP or a specialist at WLSK. An ultrasound may be required to diagnose gallstone flare ups and depending on your symptoms you may require further tests or consideration of gallstone removal.

Red:

In some cases progression of gallstone disease or the effect of the hormone on the pancreas can cause inflammation (pancreatitis). In addition to the symptoms above you may experience the following:

Severe persistant pain

Pain and firmness all over the abdomen

Fever

Jaundice (white of the eyes turn yellow)

Treatment:

Pancreatitis can be mild, moderate or severe. In all cases it is important to obtain a diagnosis and risk stratification for appropriate treatment. If you develop any of the red symptoms above with weight loss injections you must attend A&E for treatment.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the effect of these medications in the long term please contact your specialist at Weight Loss Surgery Kent.